How can we prepare our lawn this fall to have a healthy lawn come back in the spring? This is a common lawn care question that is often asked by home owners as the cooler weather approaches. Below is a Fall checklist of the important steps every homeowner should take each fall as they prepare their lawn to withstand a long, harsh winter:
1. Fall Aeration:
Being that we have typically hot, humid and harsh temperatures, summertime usually brings drought conditions to our lawns. This means that our lawns begin to dry out, the soil underneath gets compact, and thatch builds heavily in the lawn. A liquid aeration in the fall is a great service because, not only does it help recover your soil, but it also helps reintroduce organic nutrients that will revive your lawn after the harsh summer weather. Not many people know this but, our lawns root system can actually grow 85% faster in the fall as compared to any other time in the year because of the cool, moist conditions fall bring.
2. Fall Overseeding:
Over the hot, dry summer, most lawns experience a range of problems and it’s typically for some of the grass to actually die off. Over time this leads to a general thinning of the lawn. Thin lawns attract weeds and other issues. It is an excellent habit to overseed your lawn every fall. Because the fall temperatures are warm during the day and cool at night, this creates an environment for nature to take over and do the work for you! This will help replace aging grass blades with new vigorous blades, and it will keep your lawn thick, green and healthy for years to come.
2. Fall Fertilization:
Having your lawn fertilized late in the fall can actually help you more than you may think. Our lawns are in constant need of care, even when they are dormant. Having your lawn fertilized in the fall will provide nutrients to the grass over the wintertime. These nutrients activate immediately in the spring time making the lawn grow quickly out of dormancy. Wintertime also brings some lawn diseases such as snow mold, fairy ring and necrotic ring spot. Fertilizing in the fall will usually prevent these from invading your lawn.
3. Rake the lawn:
Having a heavy thatch build up can lead to a lot of issues within the lawn. Be sure that you and/or your landscaper stiffly rake or dethatch your lawn properly every fall. This will remove any thatch and debris that is in the grass and prevent disease from infecting the lawn.
4. Clean up yard waste:
Ensure you clean all leaves, sticks, and other debris within the lawn. Believe it or not leaving leaves, sticks or other things within the lawn can actually do real damage because this is where disease will form and then it can spread into the lawn after.
Conclusion
It’s always advisable to prepare your lawn for each season and fall is no exception. By following this Fall checklist, your grass will come back stronger, thicker and healthier next spring!
